Metro Connection

Schedule

88.5-1

Friday

1:00 pm

Saturday

7:00 am

Each week, WAMU 88.5's Metro Connection reaches across D.C., Maryland and Virginia to gather the sounds and stories that capture the current events, culture and personalities driving the Washington region.

Friday, August 19, 2011

We share some recent listener comments and letters - from reactions to a proposed museum of immigration, to concerns about eating shark meat in Washington, D.C.

Do you have a question or comment about the show? We'd love to hear from you!

[Music: "A Message to You Rudy (Karaoke-Version) As Made Famous By: The Specials" by Charly Karaoke Group from Karaoke World: Here We Go / "Wonderful World (In the Style of Sam Cooke) [Karaoke Version Instrumental Only]" by ProSource Studio...

Friday, August 12, 2011

We track people, businesses, ideas -- even some flora and fauna -- as they flow in and out of our region. We'll talk with a local Congressman who wants to create a national museum of American immigration. We'll find out why so many NYC-based restaurants are setting up shop in the District, and hear how residents are coping with the gaggles of Canada geese that refuse to migrate from our region.

What happens when Africa and the Caribbean collide in the capital of the United States? The answer is RAS, a District restaurant that fuses Ethiopian and Jamaican cuisine. Rebecca Sheir meets the staff of RAS, and learns about the long and rich relationship between two seemingly very different countries.

The Prince Georges County school system has recruited hundreds of teachers from around the world since 2002. But some of these teachers will be boarding flights out of Washington as soon as today. They're caught in the middle of a dispute between the school system and the U.S. Department of Labor. Kavitha Cardoza meets several of these teachers as they protest in front of the White House.

[Music: "Home (In the Style of Michael Buble)" by Stingray Music Karaoke from Karaoke - Michael...

U.S. Congressman Jim Moran represents a highly diverse district in northern Virginia. And now he's pushing for a national museum that would celebrate the American immigration experience. He's co-sponsor of legislation that would create a Museum of the American People on the National Mall. Rebecca Sheir meets up with Moran to hear more about the proposed museum, which he says would be built without federal taxpayer funds.

The Washington area isn't just a popular destination for human immigrants. All sorts of animals -- such as Canada geese -- find their way here, too. And when these animals refuse to migrate back home, they can wreak havoc on an ecosystem. Environment reporter Sabri Ben-Achour finds out why Canada geese like to settle in our region, and what people are doing about it.

Across the country, federal officials patrol airports and harbors for plants smuggled across our borders. Many of those plants end up right here in the District, at the U.S. Botanic Garden’s 85,000-square foot facility. Jessica Gould gives us a glimpse of these rare and endangered species, and the conservationists who care for them.

Every summer, thousands of people descend on Ocean City from around the country and globe to work on the beach. Some hope to make lots of cash, while others just want to live a quintessential American experience, even if only for a few months. Bryan Russo shares the story of one Bulgarian student and gives us an update on how changes to the visa system are affecting both foreigners and the businesses that hire them.

Our culinary scene has long been compared to New York's, with some food critics concluding D.C. would be better off "if only it could be more like Manhattan." Turns out, we're on our way. Within the past few years, a flurry of NYC-based restaurants have migrated down the coast and set up shop right here in the District. Emily Friedman pops into a few of these eateries to find out what this trend means for the local food scene, and whether we're at risk of becoming New York's Greatest Hits....

Khadijah Ali-Coleman, a D.C.-born playwright, singer and poet, is "heartbroken" that many local artists leave this region to pursue their passions elsewhere. So she's created an online community where local artists can collaborate and commiserate. Jessica Palombo gets the scoop on Liberated Muse.

[Music: "Take Me or Leave Me (Karaoke Version)" from Rent Karaoke]

Friday, August 5, 2011

As we slog through D.C.'s hottest summer on record, we head to Virginia for the world's hottest peppers... visit the District's first fireproof house... and meet some local teens trying to stay out of hot water, after several brushes with the law.

But first: Washingtonians share their tips and tricks for beating the heat...

[Music: "Every Little Bit Hurts" by John Davis from Title Tracks / "In The Summertime (Instrumental Track Without Background Vocal)[Karaoke in the style of...

You can find some of the world's hottest peppers growing in Tyson's Corner, Va. Tom Elder, the executive chef at harth, is cultivating his own organic peppers, from the Trinidad Scorpion to the Devil's Tongue to the world-renowned Ghost Chili. The peppers are all pollinated by Elder's very own bees, which, it turns out, work especially hard in the super-hot weather. Rebecca Sheir pays a visit to taste some fiery peppers, and lend a hand collecting honey from some heat-happy bees.

You don't have to be a meteorologist to know it's intensely hot in the nation's capital this summer. But why is this year more sweltering than most? And why does Washington seem to be among the hottest cities in the country? Environment reporter Sabri Ben-Achour goes in search of some answers.

[Music: "The Air That I Breathe (Made Famous By The Hollies)" by Omnibus Media - Karaoke Tracks from Great Ballads]

A Virginia woman is feeling the heat as she fights to get treatment for her four-year-old son, who has a rare form of brain cancer. Brennen's condition only responds to expensive proton radiation, but his mom was just laid off and lost her insurance. Now she's considering leaving the state to accept another position because she's so desperate to have benefits again. Courtney Collins talks with the family about how they're coping.

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